MP calls for reform after week of “pure misery” on roads

26th January 2020

MP Bill Esterson is calling for improved co-ordination of roadworks in Sefton after a week of “pure misery” for drivers on the roads.

The MP said his office had been inundated with complaints from frustrated motorists in a week when traffic light failure on Brooms Cross Road piled on the agony for drivers already affected by significant roadworks on Edge Lane in Thornton and Northway in Maghull.

Drivers reported journey times of more than an hour to travel just a few miles, leading to staff arriving late for work, children late for school and appointments being missed. Some families expressed dismay at road closures that they felt would restrict access for the emergency services.

The MP said his constituency office had been in constant contact with Scottish Power and Sefton Council regarding the power failure and the roadworks. He also wrote to the North West Ambulance Service and Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service to ask for their assessment of access for emergency vehicles.

He said: “The power failure at Brooms Cross Road and the delay in fixing the problem caused unacceptable levels of disruption. It has been pure misery for thousands of people day after day. My office were in touch with Scottish Power each day to urge them to fix the power supply issue as soon as possible, and we have been pressing Sefton Council to make sure the temporary traffic lights were set up better better to minimise the high levels of congestion caused by the roadworks.

“My office has also been in constant contact with Sefton Council regarding other roadworks in the area. The road closure at Edge Lane in Thornton and roadworks in Northway and Dover Road in Maghull combined with the problem at Broom’s Cross Road made travel very difficult for many people.

 

“The council must co-ordinate roadworks in a more thoughtful way to avoid excessive congestion and reduce inconvenience. The Edge Lane roadworks were due to be completed on January 24 and now I’m told it will be the first week of February.

 

“Changes at the Northway roadworks have made a bad situation even worse and I urged Sefton Council to consider how it might be done in a different way to reduce the impact on congestion.

 

“People are worried that they or their families or friends might be put at risk because of road closures that would make it more difficult for emergency vehicles to get through. I have written to the ambulance and fire services to ask for their assessment of the arrangements for them to reach homes and patients in an emergency.”

Sefton Council told Mr Esterson that the temporary lights at Northway near to Switch Island were adjusted on Tuesday last week to allow the maximum of 90 seconds for both northbound and southbound A59 traffic. The council said they also discovered on Tuesday that the green light on the side roads (Dover Road and Liverpool Road South) was still being demanded even if there was no traffic. This was corrected so they turned green only if there was a car waiting.

Sefton Council told the MP that the delays were mainly due to the fact that the A59 northbound was down to one lane rather than the temporary lights. Sefton Council told Mr Esterson that they were trying to minimise the disruption.

The council said contractors were prioritising work in the A59 carriageway for the length south of Tinto Café, saying this would take around two weeks, with a view to widen the available carriageway. There will however still be some narrowing of the carriageway north of the Café, likely until the end of the scheme, which is due to complete on March 31.

The council said they were hoping to erect variable message signs on all approaches which would give clearer information to the public about closures.

Residents also contacted Bill Esterson to question the wisdom of a road closure near Maghull station at the same time as the Northway junctiion improvements. Mr Esterson was told that these were emergency gas works which were unscheduled.